FOOD AND DRUGS DECREE, 1974
Decree · Health
Policy date: 1974-01-01
A Decree controls the manufacture and sale of food and drugs. It targets producers, importers, and regulatory bodies to enforce quality standards. This safeguards public health from substandard products.
FOOD AND DRUGS DECREE, 1974
What Is This Policy?
A 1974 military decree establishing controls over food and drugs in Nigeria, prescribing standards for their manufacture, importation, sale, and distribution — now substantially superseded by the NAFDAC Act.
Who Does It Target?
Food and drug manufacturers and importers (historical) NAFDAC as successor regulatory body Healthcare providers Nigerian consumers of food and medicines
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Protect Nigerians from substandard, adulterated, and harmful food and drug products by establishing registration, inspection, and quality control requirements.
Key Features
Product Control: Required registration and quality compliance for food and drugs before sale. Inspection: Government inspectors could examine food and drug manufacturing facilities. Standards: Set quality, composition, and labelling standards for food and drug products. NAFDAC Successor: NAFDAC Act 1993 took over and expanded these functions.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: Superseded by NAFDAC Act and related legislation Coverage: Historical Beneficiaries: Historical — Nigerian consumers Funding: Federal Government
How to Access
Current food and drug regulation: engage NAFDAC at https://www.nafdac.gov.ng Register food and drug products with NAFDAC before sale Application method: Current food/drug regulation: NAFDAC at https://www.nafdac.gov.ng
Important Terms
NAFDAC Act 1993 is the current operative food and drug legislation NAFDAC has significantly expanded the scope of regulation beyond the 1974 Decree All current product registration and enforcement conducted by NAFDAC
Official Resources
Website: https://www.nafdac.gov.ng Contact: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
Legal Framework
The Food and Drugs Decree 1974 is recognized under Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution as an existing law. It established the original food and drug regulatory framework and has been substantially superseded by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Act 1993, the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs Act, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act. The Codex Alimentarius international food safety standards provide the international framework.